Pendulum-type interrupter



Dec. 1, 1931. WE 1,834,129

PENDULUM TYPE INTERRUPTER Filed April 29,- 1927 INVENTOR SIEGMUND LOEWE.

BY 44 TORNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ISIEGMUND LOEWE, OF BERLIN, FRIEDENAU, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB TO RADIO COR-PORATION OF AMERICA, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE PENDULUM-TYPEINTERRUPTEE Application filed April 29, 1927, Serial No. 187,679, and inGermany July 19, 1926 I Pendulum rectifiers, comprising a tongue orditton oscillating between two contacts and contacting alternately withthe said two contacts, the tongue or dittonbeing set into vibratorymotion by magnetic means, are well known.

This invention refers to this kind of a device, and consists, moreparticularly, in confining the contact tongue together with the workingcontacts, within an evacuated space.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my inventionare set forth in particularity in the appended claims, the inventionitself, however, as to both its organization and method of operationwill best be understood by reference to the following description takenin connection with the drawings in which I'have indicated dia--grammatically several organizations whereby my invention may be carriedinto effect.

I shall hereinafter describemy invention with the aid of theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a form of my invention,

Figure 2 is a modification thereof, and,

Figure 3'is an elevation view of a contacting tongue. 1

The arrangement is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1. Inside anevacuated tube 1 is a tongue 2 together with the work ing contacts 3 and4. The said tongue is caused tooscillate between the said two contactseither by electrostatic or electromagnetic means, or if desired, by theaction of mechanical forces. As to the rest, the apparatus is connectedin a manner similar to pendulum rectifiers, so that it can be used forcharging batteries or condensers from an alternating current network,

The. tongue itself may possess a marked natural period, though it mayalso be free therefrom, as shall be explained later. The tongue maconsist, for instance, of magnetic material platinum jacketed wire), andit may be subiected to a reciprocal motion by the action of magnet coils5, 6, through which are passed-controlling currents. Tongue 2 may, ofcourse, be permanentlymagnetized, or it may be magnetically polarized bythe i aid of a permanent electro-magnet in order toeffect its reciprocalmotion under the in-- fluence of the changing magnetic field of thecoils 5 and 6.

Instead of the magnet coils, also electrostatically acting attractionplates may be used. Further, the working contacts may be made ofplatinum or platinum-jacketed wire, although, in the presence of a hi hvacuum and clean wire surfaces, it is so cient to use base metals suchas iron or nickel.

The tongue and the working contacts 3 and 4, of course, may be given adiflerent mechanical shape; and the tongue in particular may besupported rotatably or pivotally. What is essential is that this entirecontact arrangement of the pendulum interrupter be confined within anevacuated s ace. This arrangement has the advantage t at sparking andwear of the contacts will be eliminated since the heating and latecurrents required, for example, for broa cast purposes are comparativelysmall, indeed, they seldom attain an integral intensity over one ampere.Such currents ean be made and broken caused thereto, it beingunderstood, course, that the make and the break should be accomplishedas far as feasible at times when the current wave of the alternatingcurrent is of but asmall value.

A practical form. of construction of a vacuum pendulum rectifieraccording to the invention is shown in Figure 2, where the actuation andcontrol of the tongue is effected magnetically, but the adjustment ofthe contacts, mechanically. The tongue 2 consists of'a small magnetkeeper which is pivotally supported upon the sealed-in foot or stem inwire eyes, being bent bearing-fashion. The contact supply is effectedthrough the spiral 6 to the magnets carrying the contact tongue.

by relatively light electrodes without dama e being From the spiral, alead-in is brought.

tapered form provided in the glass bulb, and

which are hermetically sealed at their ends.

, omitted, showsa -lateral view of the mode of holding the magnet piececarrying the tongue or keeper 2 in the eyelets 15 bent bearingfashionand shown diagrammatically on a somewhat enlarged scale. This bearing inturn is supported b the fused-in stem. In Figure 3,'the supp y spiral 6and theseal corresponding thereto have been omitted for the sake ofgreater clearness.

' As pointed out above, control or actuation of the tongue 2 can beeffected also mechanically. For this purpose, similarly as shown in theembodiment Figure 2 for electrodes 3 and 4 it is hermetically sealed inthe glass bulb with the interposition of-a long springy glass bridge orstrip piece, being set into vibrations from 'the outside eithermechanically or electrostatically. Then only the three contact partsproper will be inside the evacuated space, whereas all other mechanicaldevices for adjustment of the contacts and to move the tongue aredisposed outside the evacuated spaceI The disposition of the pendulumrectifier inside an evacuated space offers the special advantage that ina case where the contacts have been properly adjusted with relation to Ithe phase of the alternating current, automatic extinction of thedischarges will nevertheless occur as soon as 'the contacts areseparated. No short-circuiting by arcingis liable to happen. An arc,even if struck in vacuo, would be spontaneously extinguished at theinstant when the current passes through its minimum value, whereas inthe open air, the ensuing ionization would persist, and this would beconducive to short-circuits.

Nothing is changed in the essential features of t e invention, if only aunilaterallyacting contact is used in the evacuated space, as forexample, when rectification of onl one-half of the alternating currentis intended. Furthermore, while I have indicated and described severalsystems for carrying my invention into effect, it will be apparent toone skilled in the art that my invention is by no means limited to theparticular organizations shown and'described,-

but that many modifications may be made without departing from the scopeof my invention as set forth'in the appended claims. claim as myinvention:

1. In combination, in a circuit interrupter, an evacuated vessel,

. gated membe a vibratory member in said vessel, one or more contactsmounted within yieldable extensions of said evacuated vessel, saidextensions depending into said vessel, means for vibrating said member,and means for adjusting one or more of said contacts.

2. In combination, in a circuit interrupter, an evacuated vessel, avibratory member plvotally mounted within said evacuated vessel, one ormore contacts mounted within yieldable, elongated, extensions providedwithln the'vessel, means for actuating said member, and means foradjusting said contacts externally of said vessel.

3. In combination, in a circuit interrupter, an evacuated vessel, avibratory member mounted within said evacuated vessel, one or morecontacts mounted within yieldable elements provided on the vessel, meansfor actuating said member, said yieldable elements depending from thevessel into the interior thereof adjacent said member, and means foradjusting said contacts.

4. A pair of contacts mounted on elongated portions of the wall of anevacuated vessel and means for adjusting said contacts by deflectingsaid elongated portions of the wall.

5. In apparatus of the character described, an evacuated vessel, anelongated member attached to the wall of the vessel and having anelectrical contact thereon within the evacuated space of said vessel,and mechanical means external of said vessel for deflecting saidelongated member thereby changing the position of said contact withinsaid evacuated vessel.

6. In apparatus of the character described, an evacuated vessel, apivotally mounted member therein, electromagnetic means external of saidvessel for oscillating'said pivotally mounted member, a contact on saidmember, other contacts cooperating with said pivotally mounted membermounted on elongated extensions formed from the wall of said evacuatedvessel and mechanical means, external of saidvessel for deflecting saidelon- An evacuated vessel, an elongated member yieldably attached to thewall of the vessel and depending therefrom, a vibratory member mountedpivotally within the evacuy ated space of said vessel, an electricalcontact affixed to said elongated member and disposed adjacentsaid-vibratory member, and means mechanically associated with saidelongated member for adjusting, atwill, said contact relative to saidvibratory member.

8. In a pendulum rectifier including a vibratory member, an evacuatedvessel containing said vibratory member, said vessel being provided withelongated extensions depending into the evacuated space of said vesseladjacent said vibratory member, and contacts associated with theextensions.

'SIEGMUND LOEWE.

